In recent years, advances in technology, as well as ever evolving tastes in style, have led to substantial changes in the design of automobiles. One of the changes involves the complexity, as well as the power usage, of electrical systems within automobiles, particularly alternative fuel vehicles, such as hybrid, electric, and fuel cell vehicles. Such alternative fuel vehicles typically use an electric motor, in combination with a battery, to drive wheels of the vehicle.
In order to optimize battery performance, it is important to properly regulate the temperature (both cooling and heating) of the batteries used in, alternative fuel vehicles. Conventionally, temperature regulation systems utilize cooling channels formed in machined or stamped components that are placed adjacent to the cells. However, such systems often limit the surface area of the cells that are effectively cooled or heated. Additionally, because of the relatively high number of parts, such as seals, that are used to properly assemble the systems, manufacturing and maintenance costs may be undesirably high.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a system and method for regulating battery cell temperature with improved performance over those of conventional temperature regulation systems. Additionally, it is desirable to provide a system that has a reduced number of parts, as well as reduced manufacturing and maintenance costs as compared to conventional temperature regulation systems. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.